Hopeful Winner Silver Wagon Upset at Calder

(from Calder report)
Second of June scored a minor upset over Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) winner Silver Wagon in Saturday's $100,000 What A Pleasure Stakes at Calder.

Silver Wagon was the 4-to-5 favorite for his first race since his victory at Saratoga, but Second of June was not far back in the wagering at odds of 2-to-1. Cornelio Velasquez rode Second of June to a five-length win over Twice As Bad, who was a head in front of Silver Wagon at the wire.

Second of June was making the fifth start of his career for owner Barbara Cesare and trainer Bill Cesare. It marked his third victory and more than doubled his lifetime earnings to $114,800. He was purchased for $7,500 at OBS Winter in January.

The Florida-bred son of Louis Quatorze raced just off the pace set by longshot Austin Barber. At the quarter pole, Velasquez had the 2-year-old in good position to take the lead, while Silver Wagon and jockey Jerry Bailey looked for racing room. Second of June easily extended his advantage, cruising to the finish line in a good time of 1:45 3/5 for the mile and a sixteenth. He paid $6.40, 3.80 and 2.20; Twice As Bad returned $7.60 and 2.80; Silver Wagon paid $2.20 for the show.

"He got extremely tired," Bailey said of Silver Wagon. "He was tired turning for home. I asked him pretty hard when we straightened out and he was giving me what he had but he was already starting to get tired."

(Chart, Equibase)

Hasty Kris Just in Time to Take Kenny Noe
The 6-year-old gelding Hasty Kris, shipping into Calder from California, was along just in time to win Saturday's $100,000 Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap by a head over pacesetter Wake At Noon.

Jockey Rene Douglas rode the winner for owner/trainer John Sadler.

Wake At Noon, the Horse of the Year in Canada in 2002, opened up several lengths on the field in the seven-furlong sprint race and was in control under jockey Horacio Karamanos. Hasty Kris made a huge rally in the home stretch, inching nearer the leader with every stride, and nabbing him at the wire. Three and a quarter lengths back in third was Tour of the Cat.

Hasty Kris made the Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap his sixth career victory, pushing his lifetime earnings to $331,581. Sent off at odds of 4-to-1, he paid $10.20, 5.80, 4.60. The Florida-bred son of Kissin Kris covered the seven furlongs in 1:23 4/5.

(Chart, Equibase)

Chatter Chatter Falters in Three Ring
Green Lantern Stable's Ender's Sister pulled away to score a two-length victory when 2-5 favorite Chatter Chatter faltered in the stretch run of the $100,000 Three Ring for 2-year-old fillies.

Ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, the Kentucky-bred bay daughter of A.P. Indy covered the 1 1/16-mile test in 1:48 1/5. Marina de Chevon was second, 8 1/4 lengths clear of 20-1 Runaway Rizzi.

Chatter Chatter, with Jerry Bailey aboard, faded to fifth in the eight-horse field after battling to get the lead into the first turn and clipping off fractions of :23 1/5, :47 and 1:13. She had won her three previous races over Florida-bred fillies at Calder by a combined margin of 44 3/4 lengths.

Ender's Sister, who broke her maiden in her last start by 10 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct more than a month ago, improved to 2-2-0 in five starts with earnings of $107,900.

The heavy betting on Chatter Chatter yielded remarkable show payoffs. Ender's Sister paid $10.20, 6.20 and 19.20. Marina de Chavon paid $6.60 and 26.60. Runaway Rizzi returned a whopping $33.60 for the show.

(Chart, Equibase)